Totchtawan Sripan

1.1. Birth and childhood

Totchtawan Sripan was born on December 13, 1971, in the Huai Bong sub-district, Mueang District, Saraburi Province, Thailand. He is the third of four children born to Somkit and Somsee Sripan. Although his birth name is Tawan Sripan, he was affectionately called "Ya" by his family, and later "Ban" by his friends, a nickname by which he is still widely known.

1.2. Education

Totchtawan began his education at Saengwittaya School, where he studied from kindergarten through to the sixth grade. He then continued his middle school education at Kaeng Khoi School. Following this, he attended Saraburi Technical College and later earned a bachelor's degree from the Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, Nonthaburi Technical Campus.

1.3. Personal life

In his personal life, Totchtawan is married to Waritthanaya Emmasiri, often referred to as "Namfon," who works as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. Their wedding celebration took place on December 12, 2008, at the Chao Phraya Room of the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall in Bangkok.

2.1. Club career

Totchtawan began his professional football journey with Raj Pracha and rose to prominence during his time with Bangkok Commercial Bank F.C., which led to his call-up to the national team. After the dissolution of Bangkok Commercial Bank, he moved to play in Singapore for Sembawang Rangers FC in the S.League, where he spent six years. During his tenure in Singapore, he became a fan favorite and was recognized as the "King of Sembawang Rangers." Despite his individual popularity, the team's overall potential was not sufficient to secure a league title, leading to key players gradually departing.

Following his spell in Singapore, Totchtawan moved to Vietnam to play for Hoàng Anh Gia Lai F.C. in the V.League 1 for three seasons. He played a pivotal role in helping the team win one league championship and was highly regarded as one of the finest midfielders in Southeast Asia. In 2003, he received the "Cheer Thai Award" as the "Best Player," an accolade based on fan votes from cheerthai.com.

After the conclusion of his contract with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, Totchtawan returned to Thailand to join BEC Tero Sasana F.C. in the 2007 Thailand Premier League. He served as the team captain, guiding the club to a third-place finish in both the 2007 and 2008 Thai Premier League seasons. Across his club career in Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, he amassed a total of 355 appearances and scored 60 goals.

2.2. National team career

Totchtawan Sripan was a longstanding and influential member of the Thailand national football team, making his debut in February 1993 during the Pre-World Cup 1994 tournament, with his first match being against Bangladesh in Kobe, Japan. He emerged during the era of the "Dream Team," under the guidance of Thawatchai Satchakul and Wirat Chanpanich.

His significant achievements with the national team include winning the King's Cup in 1994 and 2000, and the Indonesian Independence Championship in 1994. He also secured four gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games in 1993 (Singapore), 1995 (Chiang Mai), 1997 (Indonesia), and 1999 (Brunei). Furthermore, he won three Tiger Cups (now AFF Championship) and led Thailand to a fourth-place finish at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.

Totchtawan often served as the national team captain, first wearing the armband in a 1-0 victory against China on May 16, 2007, a role he maintained until his international retirement. He announced his retirement from international football in 2008 after Thailand failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, following a 2-1 loss to Oman in Muscat, where he scored Thailand's sole goal. On March 28, 2009, he played his final international match, a testimonial game against New Zealand in Bangkok, which Thailand won 3-1. He scored the second goal for Thailand and was substituted in the 31st minute, allowing Datsakorn Thonglao to take his place. During halftime, he paid tribute to his mentors and parents.

He accumulated a total of 145 appearances for the Thailand national team, scoring 23 goals. FIFA officially recognizes 110 caps and 19 goals for the senior national team. For his services to the nation, he was awarded the Order of the Direkgunabhorn, 5th Class (Benjamadirekgunabhorn), on December 5, 2000.

2.3. Playing style and attributes

Totchtawan Sripan was predominantly a central midfielder or attacking midfielder. He stands at 5.5 ft ^{(1.69 m)}. He was renowned for his exceptional creative passing, which allowed him to unlock defenses and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates. His proficiency in taking set-pieces, particularly free-kicks, was another hallmark of his game. One of his most memorable goals came from a 30-yard free-kick against the Netherlands in a 2007 friendly match in Bangkok, despite Thailand eventually losing 1-3. Another highly regarded goal was scored against Manchester United in a friendly match in 2001.

Beyond his technical abilities, Totchtawan was known for his calm and composed demeanor on the field. He rarely displayed anger or frustration towards teammates or opponents and consistently demonstrated high levels of sportsmanship. His polite nature extended off the field, where he was always approachable, willing to smile, and accommodating for fan photos. This conduct earned him the widespread nickname "gentleman footballer of Thailand" (สุภาพบุรุษลูกหนังของเมืองไทย^Thai).

3.1. Early coaching roles

Totchtawan began his coaching journey in May 2009, when BEC Tero Sasana F.C. promoted him to the role of player-coach following the departure of Christophe Larrouilh midway through the season. He guided the club to a fourth-place finish in the league and reached the final of the 2009 Thai FA Cup, where they lost to Port F.C. in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

In December 2010, Totchtawan took on the head coach position at his hometown club, Saraburi F.C., which was then in the Regional League Division 2, the third tier of Thai football. In his first year, he successfully managed Saraburi's promotion from Division 2 to the Thai Division 1 League (now Thai League 2), securing third place in their qualification group after a 2-0 victory over Rangsit University. Saraburi remained in the second division for four years before achieving a historic promotion to the Thai Premier League (now Thai League 1) by finishing as runner-up in the 2014 Thai Division 1 League season. However, in the 2015 Thai Premier League, Saraburi collected only one point from their first six games, leading Totchtawan to resign on April 8, 2015.

On May 11, 2015, approximately a month after the death of head coach Attaphol Buspakom, Police United F.C. of Division 1 announced Totchtawan Sripan as their new coach. He managed the club for the remainder of the season, leading them to win the 2015 Thai Division 1 League title. However, despite securing the title, the club was unable to gain promotion to the 2016 Thai League 1 due to financial difficulties and subsequent dissolution. Totchtawan later departed from the club.

Prior to his full-time managerial roles, following his retirement from playing, Totchtawan was appointed as an assistant coach for the Thailand national team by the Football Association of Thailand, working alongside chief coach Peter Reid. His stint as assistant coach saw the national team win one game against North Korea in the T&T Cup and lose one game away to Saudi Arabia. However, in November 2008, he stepped down from his duties as assistant coach due to conflicts arising from his continuing playing commitments with BEC Tero Sasana, which caused dissatisfaction among some players.

3.2. Muangthong United

On January 21, 2016, Muangthong United F.C. appointed Totchtawan Sripan as their new head coach, making him the first Thai head coach of the club in six years. His official managerial debut for Muangthong United was on February 2, 2016, in the AFC Champions League Preliminary Round 2 against Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. from Malaysia, a match Muangthong won via a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. The team was subsequently knocked out in the next round, losing 0-3 to Shanghai SIPG from China.

Despite the early exit from the AFC competition, Totchtawan led Muangthong United to a historic double in his first season, becoming champions of the 2016 Thai League 1 and winning the 2016 Thai League Cup. On January 22, 2017, he guided Muangthong United to lift the 2017 Thailand Champions Cup trophy with a commanding 5-0 victory over Sukhothai F.C.. The team later lost 1-3 to Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the 2017 Toyota Premier Cup.

In the 2017 AFC Champions League group stage, Totchtawan orchestrated an impressive campaign. Muangthong United secured a point in their opening game against Brisbane Roar before achieving a historic first win in the competition against Japanese J1 League champions Kashima Antlers at Supachalasai Stadium. They also earned another point from an away game against Ulsan Hyundai and secured a victory in the return game at SCG Stadium. After six matches, Muangthong finished second in their group with 11 points, advancing to the knockout stage. For his exceptional performance, particularly in the AFC Champions League, Totchtawan received the Thai League 1 Coach of the Year award in 2017.

However, his tenure at Muangthong United concluded on March 11, 2018, when he resigned from his managerial position following a shocking 1-6 away loss to PT Prachuap F.C.. Although the club initially did not approve his resignation, it was later accepted by mutual consent.

3.3. Later coaching roles

After leaving Muangthong United, Totchtawan Sripan continued his managerial career with several other Thai clubs. He managed Police Tero F.C. from June 29, 2018, to September 14, 2018, and then Suphanburi F.C. from November 12, 2018, to June 2, 2019. He also served as an assistant coach for the Thailand U23 national team from 2019 to 2020.

He took on a dual role as Technical Director and Head Coach at True Bangkok United, with his first stint lasting from November 5, 2020, to March 11, 2022. He returned to lead Bangkok United from December 28, 2022, and currently serves as their head coach. On June 15, 2024, he led Bangkok United to win their first-ever Thai FA Cup title, defeating DP Kanchanaburi 4-1 in a penalty shootout after the 2023-24 Thai FA Cup final ended in a draw. Under his leadership, Bangkok United also won the 2023 Thailand Champions Cup, finished as runner-up in the 2022-23 Thai League 1, and were runners-up in the 2022-23 Thai FA Cup.

4.1. International goals

Totchtawan Sripan scored 19 goals for the Thailand national football team in FIFA-recognized matches.

4.2. Managerial record

5.1. As a player

Thailand

• SEA Games Gold Medal (4): 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999
• AFF Championship (3): 1996, 2000, 2002
• King's Cup (3): 1994, 2000, 2006
• Indonesian Independence Cup: 1994
• Asian Games Fourth Place (2): 1998, 2002

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai

• V.League 1: 2004
• Vietnamese Super Cup: 2004

5.2. As a manager

Saraburi

• Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region: 2010
• Thai League 2 Runner-up (promotion): 2014

Police United

• Thai League 2: 2015

Muangthong United

• Thai League 1: 2016
• Thai League Cup (2): 2016, 2017
• Thailand Champions Cup: 2017
• Mekong Club Championship: 2017
• Toyota Premier Cup Runner-up: 2017

Bangkok United

• Thai FA Cup: 2023-24
• Thailand Champions Cup: 2023
• Thai League 1 Runner-up: 2022-23
• Thai FA Cup Runner-up: 2022-23

5.3. Individual honours

• Shield of Honor for Athletes Bringing Renown to the Nation from the Ministry of Education: 1993 (SEA Games)
• AFC Player of the Month: December 1995, August 1999
• Best Midfielder from M-Sport Hot Vote: 1999
• Order of the Direkgunabhorn, 5th Class (Benjamadirekgunabhorn): 2000
• Best Player from CheerThai Award: 2003
• Atsawaphahu Award: 2006
• Arena Men of the Year (Sportsmanship category): 2007
• Outstanding Athlete from Siam Sports Awards: 2008
• Thai League 2 Coach of the Month: August 2012, July 2013, July 2014
• Thai League 2 Coach of the Year: 2014
• Commemorative Shield at 100 Years Thai National Team event: November 15, 2014
• Best Coach by Football Siam Golden Ball: 2016
• Best Male Coach by the Football Association of Thailand: 2017
• Thai League 1 Coach of the Month (4): May 2016, November 2021, August 2023, October 2024
• Thai League 1 Coach of the Year (2): 2016, 2023-24